


some things even Pharaoh may not do

by AlexSeanchai (EllieMurasaki)



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Community: fic_promptly, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-26
Updated: 2014-03-26
Packaged: 2018-01-17 02:49:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1371193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EllieMurasaki/pseuds/AlexSeanchai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Just because you <em>can</em> set things on fire with your mind doesn't mean you <em>should</em>."</p>
            </blockquote>





	some things even Pharaoh may not do

"Hey, Yuugi?" asked Anzu. "Can I talk to your other self for a minute?"

"Sure," said Yuugi, and a moment later Yami Yuugi—his eyes somehow darker than Yuugi's own—sat beside her. "You summoned me?" he asked. 

"I'm thinking about all the times Yuugi blanked out for a while after solving the Puzzle," Anzu said.

Yami Yuugi winced. "Should I have let him see the shadows at work?" he asked. "They are...not kind. And I promise I won't block you out again," he added irritably to Yuugi. 

"I wasn't even going there," said Anzu. "You two fight that out yourselves. Just. It _was_ you at Burger World, saving me from that escaped convict, wasn't it?"

Yami Yuugi relaxed a little. "Yuugi would have been most upset had you gotten hurt," he answered.

"I thought so," said Anzu. "You do know it's wrong to set people on fire, right?" 

"Point the first," said Yami Yuugi, "escaped convict, with at least one murder on his head _after_ his escape, pointing the deadly end of a weapon at you."

"And a police officer in the restaurant, who'd already called for backup," Anzu countered. (She thought the officer had called for backup at that point, at least.) "All you or anyone had to do was stall for time." 

"Point the second," said Yami Yuugi, ignoring her, "I did not set anyone on fire."

"No, you just made it impossible for him to avoid it without breaking the rules of your game," Anzu said. "I admit that he was not actually on fire while he was screaming about being on fire, but convincing him he was on fire when he wasn't isn't much of an improvement." 

"What do you want me to do?" Yami Yuugi asked. "Write him a note of apology?"

Anzu laughed. The idea! "No," she said. "Just...act a little less like you think you're above all laws and ethical rules. Just because you _can_ set people on fire with your mind doesn't mean you _should_." 

"I'll take that under advisement," said Yami Yuugi.

"Which means?" Anzu asked.

"Which means I'll ask Yuugi's advice before doing anything I can't undo," said Yami Yuugi. 

Anzu opened her mouth, but before she could say 'That's not good enough,' Yuugi was back. "That's the best you're going to get," he said. "And I wouldn't have stopped him from _actually_ setting the convict on fire. He had a _gun_ on you, Anzu." 

Anzu closed her mouth again.

Yuugi blinked and Yami Yuugi was back. "I cannot be other than what I am," he said.

"You're not a _what_ ," said Anzu. "You're a _who_. And you can damn well act like it." 

Yami Yuugi blinked at her, then exhaled. "If you cannot trust me, at least trust Yuugi?"

"I didn't say I don't trust you!" Anzu said, surprised that he'd think such a thing. "It's just—you're really scary sometimes." 

"And we come to the heart of the matter," said Yami Yuugi.

"The 'heart of the matter'," snapped Anzu, "is _no setting people on fire_. No matter what they did to deserve it." 

"Very well," said Yami Yuugi. "You win. No setting people on fire. Or," he added without being prompted, "attempting to set people on fire, or arranging matters so that they set themselves on fire, or setting them on illusionary fire. No matter how tempting it is to do so. It is sometimes _very_ tempting," he added. "You know there are still bullies who see Yuugi as easy prey when he's not with the rest of you."

"Which circumstance I suspect you occasionally arrange just so you can play your games with them," said Anzu.

Yami Yuugi said nothing.

"Yeah, I thought so," Anzu said to the silence. "I won't object if Yuugi doesn't. I'm just _really_ nervous about the fire thing." Not least because some of the convict's alcohol had spilled on her. If _he_ had gone up like a rocket, what would have happened to _her_?

Setting that thought aside as best she could, Anzu smiled painfully bright. "That's all I wanted. You can go back to—whatever you do when Yuugi's running the show. If you like," she added. "If Yuugi doesn't mind, it might be fun to play a game, just for fun."

Yami Yuugi stared into the distance for a moment, then shook his head. "I appreciate the offer, but I need to think for a while." He blinked, and Yuugi was back.

"I don't think he's used to being told he's not allowed to do something," said Yuugi, laughing a little. "I think it's beneath his dignity to actually pout, but... —I heard that!"

Anzu burst out laughing.


End file.
